Slow Train
Garmin Forerunner 110 – Train Smarter Not Harder
Inspired by the countless runners who have the same request at race expos and retail outlets – “Show me the Garmin watch that has GPS and is easiest to use” -
Garmin Forerunner 110 is the ideal entry-level device for easily tracking progress and goals in exercise and training. In addition to displaying time and distance, Garmin Forerunner 110 shows pace in one of two ways, averaged out either over the current lap/mile (if auto-lap is enabled) or over the duration of the run.
Within seconds, you simply press start and instantly know your distance, pace and time – all without any complicated setup or excessive accessories.”
The Garmin110 is an outstanding watch for both training and racing. It shows only the important data: distance, heart rate, lap pace, and time. I configured mine in under 5 minutes, and it requires only two button presses to start a run (one to start the GPS, the other to start the run). This watch is much smaller than any of the other Garmin models, and can be comfortably worn as a day-to-day watch.
Runners wearing a Garmin heart rate monitor (included in some bundles or available separately) can monitor how hard they’re working while they exercise as Forerunner 110 displays current heart rate data and features heart rate-based calorie computation. Between workouts, the simplified menu system helps users review run data, change auto-lap, set an alarm or edit the user profile. Water-resistant and slimmer than any other GPS-enabled fitness watch on the market, Forerunner 110 boasts a high-sensitivity SiRFstarIVTM GPS receiver with Garmin’s HotFix technology to quickly acquire and sustain satellite reception, best for wooded trails under dense trees or in the urban canyons of skyscrapers.
Available in three stylish color combinations – black/gray, charcoal/red and gray/pink – Garmin Forerunner 110 looks preety on the run, in the office or out on the town. Lasting up to 8 hours in GPS/training mode and up to three weeks in power-save mode, Garmin Forerunner 110 can be an everyday watch even on an off-day of training. Users can save time by charging the battery and uploading workout data to Garmin Connect at the same time through an easy-to-use USB connection, which also is used to upload free software updates quickly from garmin.com.
Because Forerunner 110 stores and displays up to 200 hours of saved history, runners can see their totals even when they haven’t had a chance to upload to Garmin Connect. But once at Garmin Connect (connect.garmin.com), users can quickly and easily log their workouts, track their totals, set goals, share workouts with friends and family and participate in an online fitness community of more than 20 million activities around the world. Garmin Connect displays metrics such as time, distance, speed, elevation and heart rate. This information is shown through charts, illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps as well as the popular Google Earth application.
Forerunner 110 is the latest Garmin GPS watch breakthrough, which has spent 20 years developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ lives, making Garmin a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness industries.
Whether you’re training to complete your first 5k or you want to get faster and fitter, having accurate workout data is the key. Garmin Forerunner 110 uses GPS to accurately record your distance, time and pace.¹ Data from each run is stored in the unit, so you can go back and review how you did last week or last month. Or, upload to our Garmin Connect™ website for more detailed analysis.
Now there’s nothing standing in the way of you and your run. Forerunner 110 is our simplest training device yet. Out of the box, you’ll charge it, take it outside to find GPS satellites and answer a few setup questions. Then just press start and take off. Once you’re done, just press stop. It really is that easy.
Some versions of the Garmin Forerunner 110 (men’s black/red and women’s gray/pink) come with a heart rate monitor to display your heart rate in beats per minute. It also provides heart rate-based calorie computations so you can accurately track your calories burned. If you purchase the black/gray Forerunner 110 without heart rate, you can buy a Garmin heart rate monitor separately or use with an ²ANT+™ heart rate monitor you already own.
Beginning and advanced runners know that reviewing data from your run can be motivating and provide meaningful feedback for improvement. Tracking your data is simple with Garmin Connect, our website for free data analysis and sharing. Just upload to Garmin Connect from your PC or Mac®, then you could see the route you have traveled on a map, view a summary of your workout data, create goals and more.
Garmin Forerunner 110 features HotFix® satellite prediction, which means it locks onto satellites quickly so you can be out the door and on with your run in no time. It also has a high-sensitivity GPS receiver to stay locked onto satellites, even near tall buildings or under tree cover.
- Displays average pace over last lap. If auto lap is off, this watch will only displays average pace over entire activity unless lap button is manually pressed.
- ANT+ wireless technology on this Forerunner works only with an ANT+ heart rate monitor, no other accessories.
The Forerunner 110 is available in 3 different versions. See Versions tab for details.
Women’s Pink Bundled Version
- Forerunner 110 (women’s pink)
- AC charger
- Heart rate monitor
- Owner’s manual
Men’s Red Bundled Version
- Forerunner 110 (men’s red)
- AC charger
- Heart rate monitor
- Owner’s manual
Unisex, Black Version
- Forerunner 110 (unisex, black)
- AC charger
- Owner’s manual
Here is some information I couldn’t find elsewhere
1. The watch does not have “bike mode” as has its predecessors, but it CAN be set to tell you your speed in mph/kph.
2. The the light and right buttons take a bit of force to press while the lower left button is much easier. Maybe the tougher buttons are that way so your wrist doesn’t press them.
3. When you start and stop the timer, the watch gives you a pop-up window that says “timer started” or “timer stopped” for a few seconds to disappear. It’s kind of annoying.
4. When you tell the watch to go out of gps mode, you have to wait about a minute before you can tell it to go back into gps mode. The reverse is also true. Again, this nuance is not a deal breaker, but it’s annoying.
5. When you press the “lap” button while timing. The screen will change and give you the lap time for about 10 seconds and then return to the screen that gives you total elapsed time. In other words, there is no way to view your lap time as it increases. It’s only viewable at the END of the lap.
6. To reset the stopwatch, you have to hold “reset” for 3 seconds. That’s irritatingly slow.
This watch is certainly less gigantic than the 205/305. I think it’s a bit smaller than the 405 too. It has a solid, well made “feel” but is not very heavy. The band is comfortable for a plastic watch and has a circumference of about 9″. As stated in the instructions, you have to hold still for the watch to acquire satellite signals. It easily gets signals faster than my 60csx which has a SiRf III chip, but I’m not sure how the 205/305/405′s compare. Beyond telling the watch to report 12/24 hour mode, pace/speed, km/mi, and beeps/alarm only/off you can’t customize much about what it shows you.
Sadly, I haven’t had time to take the watch on a run or match it with my 60csx, but I will try to post that data this weekend.
Overall, this watch seems like it perfectly do what it was made to do. Due to its sluggish stopwatch, expense, bulk, and lack of simultaneous showing of elapsed lap and total elapsed times, I won’t take it to the gym any time soon. That said, I am still excited to try to use it on runs and bike rides.
I took this watch on a run along with my 60csx. For the duration of the 2.4 mile run, they stayed within 0.02 of a mile of each other (usually 0.01). I could not compare the speeds directly because the forerunner 110 only gives you a running average. It would be nice if Garmin would allow you to change that feature. Sometimes the 110 will get a signal in about 15 seconds, but sometimes it takes more like a minute.
I run with a group that includes 3 305s and 1 405. Now I’ve added the 110. It works fine, just like it’s big brothers. Keep in mind this watch has a VERY limited feature set. Distance, Time, Pace, and Auto Lap. Connected to satellites fast and stayed connected. Simple to use for someone who doesn’t want to wade through menu after menu. I was going to buy the 405 but when I saw this simplified version I knew this would be my first GPS watch. It has only the features I would use on the more expensive ones and you still get all the same data once you sync it with Garmin Connect.
Flanders and Swann – The Slow Train
